TiviMate: add a playlist by URL
TiviMate is built for a remote, which makes it the easiest of the players to live with once a playlist is in. Getting the playlist in is the only fiddly part.
Install and open TiviMate
It runs on Android TV and Fire TV. On a Fire Stick it is installed through the Appstore or sideloaded; on Android TV it is on Google Play. Open it and dismiss the first-run prompt.
Choose “Add playlist”, then M3U
TiviMate offers M3U playlist and Xtream Codes. Pick M3U. Xtream wants a provider host plus credentials, which a public playlist does not have — this is the step where most imports fail.
Paste the URL
Name it, choose M3U URL as the source type, and paste. A country list is a better first import than the full index:
That list currently parses to 310 channels across 40 groups.
Skip the EPG on the first run
TiviMate asks for an EPG source right after the playlist. Skip it. Attaching a guide before channels are confirmed working is how people end up with an empty-looking setup and no idea which part failed.
Turn on playlist auto-refresh
In the playlist settings, enable updating at app start. Public lists change constantly, and a stale copy is the usual reason channels look like they vanished.
Notes that save a support thread
- Some features (recording, multiple playlists) sit behind TiviMate Premium. Plain playback of one playlist does not need it.
- If the channel list loads but nothing plays, the playlist is fine and the streams inside it are dead — try a smaller, fresher country list.
- Long URLs are painful on a remote. Add the playlist on a phone first, or use the companion sign-in where the app offers one.
TiviMate questions
Do I need TiviMate Premium to add an M3U playlist?
No. Premium covers recording and multiple playlists. Playing a single M3U playlist does not need it.
Why does TiviMate offer Xtream Codes when I have a playlist URL?
It supports both. Pick M3U playlist and choose M3U URL as the source type — Xtream expects a provider host plus credentials, which a public playlist does not have.
The channels import but almost nothing plays
The list is valid and the streams inside it are dead or geo-restricted. Try a smaller, fresher country playlist rather than changing the import settings.
How do I keep the channel list current?
Enable playlist update at app start. Public lists change constantly, and a stale local copy is the usual reason channels appear to have vanished.